The supplements these Yogis take to keep them calm and focused on the road

Brandon and Lauren have never experienced a road trip tour like this before. They are quickly learning that being on the road can lead to unexpected stress and fatigue – that is why they are both making it their goal to stick to their daily routines. Gratitude to our supplement sponsor, Nature’s Way, for supplying Brandon and Lauren with products that harness the best that nature has to offer, helping them on their yoga and wellness journey across the U.S.

Live Be Yoga ambassadors Lauren Cohen and Brandon Spratt are on a road trip across the country to sit down with master teachers, host free local classes, and so much more—all to illuminate the conversations pulsing through the yoga community today. Follow the tour and get the latest stories @livebeyoga on Instagram and Facebook.

The Stylish Alternative to Sweats

Give dad these stretchy, sweat-proof, quick-dry, ultra versatile, UPF 50+ pants and see if he ever takes them off. PrAna Men’s Super Mojo Pants 2.0 are perfect for the gym or just lounging on the couch. ($79, yogaoutlet.com)

The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perserverance, and the Art of Living

Inspired Reading

The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perserverance, and the Art of Living features philosophy from great ancient thinkers like Marcus Aurelius and Seneca. It might just motivate dad to live his best life. ($15, amazon.com)

Men’s L.L. Bean Trail Tee

Do-it-All Tee

Lightweight, quick-drying and ever-so-slightly tailored, the Men’s L.L. Bean Trail Tee works for a yoga class, at the gym, or on the hiking trail. ($22.95, llbean.com)

Tiny Devotions Vision Men’s Bracelet

Intentional Jewelry

The semi-precious stones in the Vision Men’s Bracelet from Tiny Devotions can help dad find clarity and empower him to face fears head-on. Plus, he’ll think of you every time he wears it. ($48, lovetinydevotions.com)

Research shows that so much of what sets us up for good gut health later in life happens during early childhood. And yet, it’s often when we take our biggest missteps. In today’s episode, we go beyond SIBO to talk about the rules of greater gut health, why our detachment from the earth is making sick, and how by simply getting dirtier we can correct some of the microbiome mistakes from our youth.

I’m joined by Dr. Maya Shetreat, who is a pediatric neurologist, herbalist, urban farmer, and bestselling author of The Dirt Cure: Healthy Food, Healthy Gut, Happy Child. In our chat, we discuss what’s happening in a developing gut and how some of the popular ills of childhood – like ear infections, fever, rashes, colic, hyperactivity – relate to food sensitivities and a damaged microbiome. More importantly, Dr. Maya gives us some concrete advice on natural alternatives to conventional over-the-counter drugs that might be damaging your kid’s microbiome further.

If you’re someone who is still putting together all the pieces of your health puzzle (or a child’s) this conversation will bring a lot of aha moments, and offer plenty of suggestions for moving forward.

A quick taste of what we’ll cover:

How the genetic vulnerabilities we’re born with play out via our lifestyle and environmental triggers

What being out in nature does for our nervous system and biodiversity

How the microbiome interacts with the microvirome – our body’s ecosystem of viruses

Why childhood fevers are so important for immune development

How gut health impacts the nervous system and why certain children present with neurological issues like ADHD or Autism, and others will get an ear infection

Why early childhood emotional or physical trauma can affect gut health later in life

You don’t have to measure your success based on your social media following.

Tiffany Cruikshank (pictured), founder of Yoga Medicine, sat down with Live Be Yoga ambassador Lauren Cohen and shared key questions that yoga instructors can ask themselves to reinvigorate their teachings.

Live Be Yoga ambassadors Lauren Cohen and Brandon Spratt are on a road trip across the country to sit down with master teachers, host free local classes, and so much more—all to illuminate the conversations pulsing through the yoga community today.

About four years ago I quit my full-time job in public relations and dedicated myself to teaching yoga full-time. Amidst the ongoing attempts to perfect my schedule and avoid getting lost in social media mayhem or a comparison trap, I’ve worked hard to remember what it is I love about the practice, what it is that got me hooked. At times it can feel competitive, especially in San Francisco, where so many teachers are teaching full-time, hustling to fill their classrooms, hosting retreats, and seeking those “prime-time” classes.

Now that I’m on the Live Be Yoga tour, the time away from my day-to-day rhythm and regular class schedule has offered me distance, and in that distance I have gained a ton of perspective already. Yet it wasn’t until I sat down with Tiffany Cruikshank that I felt invigorated and inspired to go back to the drawing board and ask myself some fundamental questions about why I practice and why I teach.

Tiffany is the founder of Yoga Medicine and a teacher trainer whom I’ve had the privilege of studying with over the years. I’ve also watched her build an amazing brand and business that is thriving in so many ways. It was an honor to chat with her about yoga’s evolution, hear her enthusiasm and …

On our path to healing, we can seek to practice without as much appropriation. Here’s how.

I see you. You’ve experienced deep personal, emotional, physical, and even spiritual benefits from your yoga practice. It’s a profound gift for your life and you want to share it with others. You want to explore more deeply. Perhaps even visit the source of these wisdom teachings.

I get it. After all, the yoga you’ve experienced up until now has brought you so much good. So how can any of this be causing harm, you wonder?

Self-reflection is critical for us as yogis. Part of our practice is to be willing to practice svadhyaya, or self-study.

As we explore deeper, sometimes complexities are unearthed in our path of practice. The topic of cultural appropriation is one such complexity. As practitioners, we can pause and reflect, and instead of turning away, we can lean in. Inquiring is a great beginning.

We need to be brave enough to do our yoga and see satya in this context—the truth of our power and position—and then apply the very first of the yamas, ahimsa, or non-harming, to our role in how the context of yoga is taught and portrayed. This will help us reduce the harm. For example, if we mostly see a certain type of person practicing yoga at our studio, we can go out of our way to frequent studios or events put on by folks who are different from that norm. We can attend classes taught by South Asian teachers and invite them in as experts to uplift vital voices who are often left out. On our path to healing, we can seek to practice without as much appropriation. Here’s how:
…

From the must-see places and pilgrimages to top tips on how to stay healthy on the road, here’s what you need to know before you plan your trip.

Yoga Journal gives Western yogis an in-depth look into planning a trip to the birth place of yoga consciously and mindfully.

I started practicing yoga in a crowded New York City gym, my mat so close to the student’s next to mine that I couldn’t tell whose sweat droplets were whose. Like many Americans, I was introduced to yoga as a physical activity—I considered it a complement to the triathlon training I was doing at the time—and thought of it as only that for the first five or so years I practiced.

Then, I started practicing with a yoga teacher who dropped lessons about yoga’s lineage into her classes. That led me to another instructor, who taught me even more about this ancient practice, the origins of which date to pre-Vedic times (1500–500 BCE) and are widely believed to have morphed into the Hatha Yoga that spread during British colonial rule of India and that Westerners practice today. The more I learned, the more I realized that eventually, I’d want to make a pilgrimage to yoga’s birthplace so I could understand more fully the practice I’d come to love.

I had that chance three years ago. What I learned is that, similar to my journey on my yoga mat, a meaningful trip to India can’t just be about taking. Rather, it should be about studying up on the places you’ll visit and cultures you’ll experience, connecting meaningfully with the people you meet when you’re there, giving back through seva (selfless …